Detecting hackers (or intrusions) using Windows event log monitoring

The NSA released a PDF entitled “Spotting the Adversary with Windows Event Log Monitoring” earlier this year. The good news is it’s probably one of the most detailed documents I’ve seen in a long time. Everything from setting up Event Subscriptions, to a hardened use of Windows Remote Management, including the use of authentication and firewalls, this document tells you how to securely setup an environment where you can natively consolidate and monitor event log based entries. In addition, the NSA goes onto cover a number of areas that should be monitored – complete with event IDs:

http://www.redblue.team/2015/09/spotting-adversary-with-windows-event.html

http://www.redblue.team/2015/09/spotting-adversary-with-windows-event_21.html

Event forwarding guidance: https://github.com/iadgov/Event-Forwarding-Guidance

Machine-specific issues – which can be indications of malicious activity

• Application Crashes
• System or Service Failures
• Kernel and Device Signing
• The Windows Firewall

Administrator Activity – specific actions performed that may be suspect

• Clearing of Event Logs
• Software and Service Installation
• Remote Desktop Logon
• Account Usage

The bad news is you’re still left to sort out a TON of event log detail and interpret whether the entries are a problem or not.

Additionally: Changes to Group Policy only show up in the events as a change to the policy, but lack detail on exactly what was changed within the Group Policy.

To truly have a grasp on whether you have an “adversary” within or not and, if so, what that adversary is doing, you’re going to require a solution that not only collects events, but can correlate them into something intelligent. Your solution should:

• Consolidate events
• Focus on the events you are concerned about
• Provide comprehensive detail about the changes to your systems, security and data

Three software solutions:

• Netwrix Auditor for AD
• Dell change auditor for AD
• IBM QRadar (SIEM)
• Splunk (SIEM)  : Splunk Windows Auditing using the NSA guide: https://github.com/anthonygtellez/windows_auditing

MS white-paper best practices to secure AD: http://aka.ms/bpsadtrd

MS Advanced threat analytics (MS ATA): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/products/advanced-threat-analytics/

Windows Event IDs useful for intrusion detection: